Hyannis

Hyannis is the closest thing Cape Cod has to a real city, and that fact alone draws very different reactions from different travelers. If you want a year-round downtown with restaurants that stay open past Labor Day, a ferry to the Islands, and an airport you can actually use, Hyannis delivers in a way no other village on the Cape can. If you wanted a quaint clapboard village frozen in 1955, you came to the wrong place — this is the working, commercial center of the Mid Cape, complete with strip malls and traffic.

The beaches lean utilitarian. Kalmus Park is the windsurfing and kiteboarding capital of the Cape, drawing serious wind sports enthusiasts from across New England. Veterans Park is the family workhorse — free parking, a playground, picnic areas, and a bathhouse that handles the crowds without complaint. Keyes Memorial is the polished town beach, a short walk from downtown shops if you want to combine an afternoon swim with dinner on Main Street.